


you talk way too much

by atat



Category: Skulduggery Pleasant - Derek Landy
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Pre-LSODM, Rated T for swearing, skul comforts her, val is stressed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-21
Updated: 2018-08-21
Packaged: 2019-06-30 09:58:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15749385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/atat/pseuds/atat
Summary: Valkyrie gets driving lessons.





	you talk way too much

**Author's Note:**

> i've been sitting on this one for a long time, and i finally decided to do something with it recently since i couldn't stand it staring at me from my docs page any longer. title from a song by the strokes. enjoy !

Skulduggery looked as if he were about to speak.

 

"Shut up. I know what I'm doing" Valkyrie snapped at him. He knew better not to be offended by now. She closed her eyes, tried to concentrate.

 

"Do you? Cause you're not really doing anything." He said.

 

She ignored him. Took a deep steadying breath. Calm. Tried again. She had removed the key from the ignition after the last unsuccessful try. She put it in the ignition again. Turned it. The engine purred to life. Now all she had to do was-

 

The engine died again. "What the fuck am I doing wrong?!" She ripped the key from the ignition of the Oompa Loompa. Valkyrie looked like she had enough for the day. They’d been at it for hours.

 

Skulduggery just watched her. "Maybe we should just stop for today?"

 

"Yes. Fine. I honestly did not think it was this hard."

 

"It actually isn't. You just need practice. And patience."

 

Valkyrie was seething with frustration. This was meant to be the first of many driving lessons with him. He sighed.

 

"It's always weird when you do that. Why do you that?" Valkyrie mumbled against the window.

 

"Do what?"

 

"Sigh. Like you need to breathe. Can't you show you're disappointed in me some other way?"

 

"Would you rather I _say_ that I'm disappointed in you?"

 

Now it was her turn to sigh. "I don't know, okay?" She said. Then, on her head: _I don’t know what I want._

 

A drawn-out pause.

 

She bit her lip. "Are you really, though?"

 

"Am I what?"

 

"Disappointed in me." she managed to get out.

 

"Is that a serious question?"

 

"No.” She said. “No. Nevermind."

 

"Of course I'm not, Valkyrie. I think you’re an average to great person most times. Of course you couldn’t be any less since you’re always with me. Soon enough you’ll get the hang of it.”

 

“I hate you.” Valkyrie whispered. She closed her eyes and sunk a little further on her seat. This day, spent in a stuffy car, trying to learn something entirely new, with him being evasive was exhausting her. Plus, she couldn't imagine the whole impending alter-ego-destroying-the-world thing was much of a help either. She needed a god damn nap.

 

* * *

 

She raised her head from her pillow, reluctantly.

 

It was morning. Her phone stood by the side of the bed on a small perched table. She grabbed it and went to check for any new messages, and then her phone started to ring.

 

It was him.

 

Valkyrie may or may not have been slightly avoiding Skulduggery recently. She just didn't have the energy to deal with him, when they weren't on their driving lessons. Or when they were.

 

Did they have anything planned out for today? She tried to remember. She’d had a bit more practice on driving and it had been improving so far. She could almost even park the car without completely ruining it, now.

 

She had some time to think, lately. About him. And the war. She could have sworn the small crush she had developed would eventually fade, with age. It took her long enough to even acknowledge that it existed. She was starting to think it wouldn’t just dissipate with time. As if any of her problems would ever go away that easily. What was she supposed to do?

 

She picked up the phone.

 

“Good morning, Valkyrie.” His usual warm voice came through the speaker. That voice that had first gotten her attention, all those years ago.

 

“Hi.” She said back. “Sorry, do we have plans today?”

 

“Not anything aforementioned, no. But I have nothing to do over here so I thought I could… stop by? Maybe practice driving some more?” There was a rare uncertainty in his voice. He tried not letting it show, but she noticed, of course.

 

“Yeah. Yeah, okay.” She agreed, thinking that he may start suspecting something if she kept avoiding him like the plague. She was a little restless. There was a lot on her mind already, despite only having woken up a few moments ago.

 

About half an hour later, he arrived at Gordon’s house. She greeted him at the doorway, told him to come in. Valkyrie sat at the couch. He stood.

 

“So.” Valkyrie started. “Anything important that we urgently need to do or is this a strictly social call?”

 

“Things are quiet at the Sanctuary right now. No imminent crisis. Don’t worry about it.” Except _me_ of course, Valkyrie thought bitterly. Or probably Darquesse. She was having trouble separating the two voices lately.

 

“It’s a little unusual of you to spend this much time alone, so I was curious and came to check how you are” He said, leaning against the wall opposite her.

 

“Um. Okay.” She said, eloquently.

 

She knew that he was good at noticing things. Obviously, she knew, and she couldn’t help but think about it while he stared at her with those empty eye-sockets. She wondered how much of her he actually saw.

 

“I’m fine. I felt a little tired these past days so I stayed at home. But I’m all better now, thanks” Valkyrie tried, with a reluctant smile.

 

He tilted his head. She could imagine the gears turning in his head, his empty skull, evaluating whether her answer was satisfactory enough. There’s no way he believed her.

 

“Nope. I’m afraid that's not going to cut it.” Skulduggery said nonchalantly.

 

“What?”

 

“I know there's something wrong. And I know you want to talk to me about it. So, talk to me about it.”

 

Valkyrie was taken aback by his straightforward behaviour. Of course he didn't come here to continue their lessons. He was onto her. This might be it, then. No more running.

 

She bit her lip.

 

“It’s just…” She started. Stopped. Tried again.

“The whole war thing, and turning eighteen, and Darquesse... It's all happening too fast. I've known for a while now that I would have to deal with these things eventually, but to be honest there's no way I could actually prepare for it. I feel unprepared. And… and scared.”

 

It was unlike her to show weakness. He knew that very well by now. Having seen her at her worse, still keeping a brave face. This was clearly getting to her enough that she needed to talk about it. She kept her gaze somewhere on the floor, not looking at him.

 

He crossed the room from the wall to the couch and sat beside her.

 

“You know that whatever happens in the next few months, we'll deal with it, right? Together.” He said, turning to face her, his voice gentle. “Just like we've dealt with everything that life has carelessly thrown at us before.”

 

“With amazing elegance and poise?” She mocked with air quotes, cracking a smile. “Yeah, I know. I just… feel like this time’s different. Like there might be more consequences this time.”

 

“Whatever those may be, we can get through them. I know we can. And I know _you_ can. You're one of the strongest people I know, Valkyrie. Don't underestimate yourself.”

 

She felt like crying. Great. As if the admission of her fear wasn't enough weakness shown for one day. She wiped at her eyes. She could still feel the weight of his gaze. It’s only Skulduggery, though, she thought to herself. He who has supported her and saved her and fought with her so many times before. It’s only Skulduggery.

 

She leant her head against his shoulder and sniffled a bit, feeling very pathetic but also much better. He put his arm around her and let her press herself closer.

 

“If you needed a hug-”

 

Before he could finish his sentence she laughed and smacked him lightly.

 

“Shut up” She said affectionately, hugging him tighter.

 

He really knew better not to be offended by now.

**Author's Note:**

> oh no i wrote words and they r all bad


End file.
